


How Sweet The Song We Make

by ThereIsNoTragedyInThat



Series: The Witcher Bingo 2020 Fills [3]
Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Declarations Of Love, Drabble, Fluff and Angst, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, Getting Together, Jaskier | Dandelion Loves Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Love Confessions, M/M, Short & Sweet, The Witcher Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:07:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23651329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat/pseuds/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat
Summary: "You're engaged?"Witcher Bingo Fill: Engagment
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: The Witcher Bingo 2020 Fills [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697797
Comments: 6
Kudos: 175





	How Sweet The Song We Make

“You’re engaged?”

Jaskier was sitting on the stump in front of him, eyes on the ring around his finger and looking all the world like he’d just heard the most terrible news in his life. Geralt watched as he nodded slowly, wincing as though it were painful to admit. Now, he’d be the first to think it was Jaskier’s idea, from the way he usually spoke of his women and men, but for all his ignorance to human nature, he could tell this wasn’t right.

“You don’t want to marry her?”

The bard’s expression twisted, mouth opening and closing like he wasn’t sure what to say. Geralt was already exasperated by the other man’s lack of words. Usually, he wouldn’t shut up for anything and now he was forcing Geralt to tear the story from his throat and he was decidedly uninterested.

Not in his engagement. Geralt actually cared about that a great deal but this was neither the time nor place for such morose thoughts. No, he was uninterested in trying to piece together every detail of whatever mess the bard had gotten himself into now and would much rather take the action to fix it rather than uselessly expel words that would only make his friend more miserable.

“We can leave tomorrow,” Geralt shrugged. “I’m headed East.”

Jaskier’s head snapped up, eyes wide and incredulous, “leave?!”

Geralt just stared at him, waiting.

“I can’t leave!” Jaskier jumped to his feet, hands flying out even as his face twisted unhappily. “She’s of noble birth, if a bit young, and her family is well loved by almost everyone in this dismal region…I can’t simply leave!”

While he had at least gotten his bard to finally utter words, this was hardly any better. Sometimes it was an absolute misery trying to decipher Jaskier’s mind and motivations. Usually, Geralt got away with prompting him with his grunts and looks but the bard seemed like he was barely conscious of them. Maddening, the whole thing.

“I don’t see why not.”

Jaskier’s head tilted toward the sky, which was far too bright and happy given the situation, hands pulling at his hair, “because Geralt, she’d kind and fancies herself in love with me and my music. Which, don’t get me wrong, is incredibly flattering and shows she has wonderful taste-”

Geralt grunted.

“-And if I break her heart by leaving I’ll be all but exiled from the region, she is beloved by the people here, a rare feet for nobles in this day and age…my _reputation_ Geralt, it will be _ruined!”_

Geralt watched as the bard blew out a sigh of abject misery from where he leaned against the tall tree. He twisted the medallion around his neck considering, fingers scratching at the emblem as he weighed his words, “then marry her and be done with it.”

Jaskier froze as though the thought had struck him dumb. He turned to look at Geralt who simply raised an eyebrow as the bard tried to gather himself, opened his mouth to speak, failed, and tried again, “what?”

Geralt sighed, aggravated that he had to spell out even the simplest of notions, he stood from where he had been lounging, shaking his head, “you said she was kind and beloved by those beneath her. She is wealthy and inexplicably loves your music. There are worse matches in the world Jaskier. I imagine she’d be loyal to you and you would find yourself happy in time. Marry her. The simplest solution is sometimes the right one.” Geralt didn’t look at the bard, though he could feel his eyes on him, sense his intense displeasure in the air.

“You would have me marry a woman I don’t even know?” all the hysteria of a few minutes before was gone, replaced by a resigned whisper. “Have me pretend to love a young woman and deprive her of a man that would truly and passionately want her?”

Geralt glared at him, “you are confusing your songs with real life Jaskier. In time that is the very thing you might have with her and she’d be none the wiser. The world is not some loving ballad.”

“No, I don’t suppose it is. I’d say the notes in the air are more heartbreaking then loving.”

Looking up at his bard, Geralt found Jaskier watching him with an intensity that could make a dragon flinch. His expression was still somber but now held something akin to grief, like he’d suffered some terrible but expected loss at Geralt’s hands. This was not difficult to interpret, didn’t need words or flowery explanations because it had sat silent and untouched between them for long enough as it was.

“Love can be learned,” Geralt attempted quietly.

“Not when one’s heart has been taken so fully by another already,” Jaskier replied, the smallest quirk to his lips.

There was a small part of him that had thought they would never get here, would never have to face the reality of their dreams together like this. For all the love Geralt bore the young bard in front of him, for as painful the thought of his engagement, and ruthlessly heartbreaking the reality of him in the arms of another…it was still the better future. He’d like to see Jaskier happy, not matter the state of that being.

“Jaskier…she offers you a future. I have nothing of that sort for you. No villas, no money, no friends, no security, and certainly no ring,” he plowed ahead as his bard opened his mouth. “I am a Witcher, I’ll die eventually, and I’ll do it alone.”

Jaskier glared at him with narrowed eyes, “I’d like to think after all the time we spent together you’d know be better then all that. She offers a comfortable life…I never would have travelled with you if that was all I wanted. I might be a romantic Geralt, but I’d take that over an empty life any day.”

They stared at each other for a long moment. Geralt was out of words to say, never knew how to speak to his bard when his head had gone up in the clouds, pretty words refuting reality with an easy sweep. Yet, somehow it didn’t really matter because there was a warmth in his belly and an odd thrumming in his veins.

“I go East tomorrow,” he stated one last time.

Jaskier smiled fully this time, “I’ll meet you in the morning, I have a ring to return.”

“What of your reputation?”

“I’ve told you before Geralt…respect doesn’t make history. Its easy to forget but you always seem to have a way of reminding me, some things are more important.”

Geralt watched the retreating form of his bard, mind already working out the list of additional things that would need to be packed, reworking his route to account for proper beds and meals, less woodland camping. He had no wish to examine his emotions too closely but if he had to guess…he imagined it was something like joy.

**Author's Note:**

> I imagine the engagement came about after a good party and a little too much too drink.


End file.
